Sunday, January 29, 2017

EC orders FIR against Arvind Kejriwal for poll bribe comments

The Election Commission (EC) today ordered that an FIR be filed against AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for his comments about bribes at a rally in poll-bound Goa earlier this month.

The EC also said today that a compliance report regarding legal action on Kejriwal must be sent to it by 3.00 PM , January 31, at the latest.

The EC already scolded the Delhi chief minister on January 21 for "asking Goa voters to accept bribes" from those political parties that are offering it, but vote only for AAP. At the January 8 rally, the Delhi chief minister also told the voters to ask for Rs 10,000 when offered Rs 5,000 by workers of rival parties and to accept only new currency notes.

The EC said his comments were an exhortation to accept bribes. It added that if he doesn't stop making such statements, it would derecognise AAP.

The Delhi CM sees it as quite the opposite - his remarks are actually to do with stemming corruption and bribery, he thinks. Being asked to not say what he did amounts to saying, 'Accept bribes and vote for the person who bribed you," Kejriwal believes. That is akin to promoting bribes, he thinks .